Trump Set To Outline AI Priorities In Speech Asserting US Edge

President Donald Trump plans to deliver a major address on artificial intelligence next week to outline his vision for ensuring American dominance in AI, marking his biggest statement on an emerging technology at the heart of the US-China rivalry.

Trump is set to speak July 23 at an event titled “Winning the AI Race,” organized by White House AI and crypto czar David Sacks and his cohosts on the All-In podcast, according to an administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to preview the speech.

His remarks come as his administration puts the final touches on an AI action plan, a policy directive the president mandated with an order days after taking office in January. Set to be released later this month, the blueprint has come together with industry input under the leadership of Sacks and White House technology adviser Michael Kratsios. The president is expected to sign an executive order after the plan is released to implement its policies, according to a person familiar with the matter.

In his second term, Trump has signaled his interest in boosting American artificial intelligence, including efforts to increase private sector investments and ease permitting processes for energy production. Trump is set to visit Pennsylvania Tuesday to unveil new investments in AI and energy infrastructure.

Trump and administration officials have repeatedly stressed the importance of maintaining a US advantage in AI to counter top geopolitical rival China. China has invested significantly in artificial intelligence, and the Chinese startup DeepSeek rattled investors on Wall Street in January with its breakthrough R1 model that suggested AI could be developed for far lower cost.

Even with concerns over the challenge posed by China, the US plans to allow sales of Nvidia Corp.’s H20 chip to Chinese customers, reversing restrictions the administration imposed earlier this year. The move marks a win for Nvidia Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang, who had met with Trump in Washington last week and has blasted US export controls as a policy failure that puts US competitiveness in global markets at risk.

Trump showed an early interest in artificial intelligence on the campaign trail, where he promised to unleash AI innovation by dismantling what he called overly burdensome regulation imposed by his predecessor.

Upon taking office in January, Trump rescinded a 2023 order from former President Joe Biden that established extensive safety testing requirements and required transparency reports from major AI developers. In its place, Trump called for Sacks to create a new approach that would be spelled out in the AI action plan.

In February, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy solicited industry input on its priorities for AI, with companies submitting detailed responses. In its filing, OpenAI called for the federal government to preempt state AI laws, a move that would offer the industry relief from a growing number of state-level rules. In exchange, AI companies that opt in to an exemption from state oversight would give the federal government access to their AI models to ensure safety and test capabilities.

Elements of this proposal were included in Trump’s sweeping tax and spending bill through a provision that would have barred states from passing AI legislation for 10 years. The Senate ultimately voted to drop the language from the final bill, but several Silicon Valley investors, including Marc Andreessen and Joe Lonsdale had advocated to keep the controversial measure in the legislation.

Trump has also stressed the importance of ensuring the US has enough power for AI data centers, which are projected to account for 8.6% of all US electricity demand by 2035, more than double their 3.5% share today, according to data from Bloomberg NEF. The administration has urged expanding use of coal-fired power, along with electricity from natural gas and nuclear to help fuel the AI boom.

Earlier this year, Trump announced a $100 billion investment in AI data centers from SoftBank Group Corp., OpenAI Inc., and Oracle Corp. The administration has also rescinded Biden-era AI chip curbs as part of a broader effort to boost American innovation and ease US allies’ access to advanced technology, especially AI chips made by Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices Inc.